She gave a small scream as a tearing, rending sound close by, louder even than the wind, warned her that a tree had been blown down, but not, thank heaven, below her the idea of negotiating a fallen tree on the way back held no appeal.

Defense Secretary Gates said Thursday that the U.S. could "ultimately" contemplate the idea of negotiating with the Taliban to secure a political settlement in Afghanistan, if the Afghan government were to pursue such talks, the Financial Times click here Gates said a political settlement with the Taliban was "conceivable."

Promoted to Headline (H2) on 10/12/08: Gates Says Talks with Taliban "Conceivable" - Let's Get Started yahooBuzzArticleHeadline = 'Gates Says Talks with Taliban "Conceivable" - Let\'s Get Started'; yahooBuzzArticleSummary = 'Article: Defense Secretary Gates said the U.S. could "ultimately" contemplate the idea of negotiating with the Taliban to secure a political settlement in Afghanistan.